Inexcusable
by elle127
Summary: Seriously injured Rukia is placed in a medically induced coma after protecting Byakuya from an arrancar attack. Byakuya blames himself and refuses to leave her side


"Inexcusable," he mumbled to himself.

Two members of the Kuchiki Family sat in a hospital room, one in the chair head in his hands letting his long black hair fall over. The other in a medically induced coma for some time now, held together by bandages and IV lines. If he had only been faster then his wouldn't have happened or if anything it would have been him laying there instead of his sister.

In all the years he'd known her she was able to break his stoic disposition even if only in brief moments around the house when no one else was watching. She was a natural in tearing down every wall he had ever built around his heart.

He pressed his palms into his eyes in a vain attempt to lessen the pressure the situation had dumped on his shoulders. For the first time in a long time he was wrong.

This morning had started off like a normal day, he had walked her to her division and said hello to her captain. Nothing unusual minus the fact that he had taken more interest in her life and what she did after she had almost been executed. It was later that the day's events had taken a turn for the worst.

There was an arrancar attack in Karakura town and as a captain and she as the officer in charge of that vicinity were called to fight it.

They fought separately as she had decided to back up the orange haired ryoka that she had taken liking to. He kept an eye on her from the distance.

It had all happened so fast.

She was struck down mere seconds after using a shun-po to save his back. He turned and struck down the arrancar only to see his sister in a crumpled and bleeding heap on the ground with division four nowhere to be found. She had tired to stand and continue fighting but she had sustained great wounds from her attack and the battle itself.

It was in that moment that he realized that she had saved him and had she not stepped in that would have been him on the ground. She picked up his guard in the split second that he had dropped it. This was his fault, he hadn't been attentive enough.

"It's simply inexcusable," he muttered again.

There was no way he'd be able to face her captain after this or her boyfriend, his own lieutenant. There was no way in hell and this was the same man who could tell Kenpachi Zaraki off.

He raised his head a few centimeters to look at her before he lowered it again.

Less that a second, that's all it was.

It was too much to bear and he broke down shedding tears for the first time since his wife's death over fifty years ago. She reminded him so much of her and to lose her as well…

With his wife's death he had done everything in his power to save her. With his sister and fellow soldier he dropped his guard at the wrong moment and she paid for his mistake. He calmed himself down enough to look at her again.

One of the monitors was beeping faster and her eyes were fluttering. Panic started to rise in his chest. What was going on? His hand was at the call button when her dark lavender eyes fluttered open.

"Byakuya?" her voice was weak and soft but loud enough to catch him off guard. He sat back down in his chair, weak as relief washed over him. "Nii-sama?"

"Rukia," the captain said looking up.

"Nii-sama," she asked. "What happened?"

"The arrancar is dead," he answered dryly, bluntly. "I killed it."

"Are you injured?" she asked meeting his gaze. He broke off unable to look at her mangled and conscious self.

"I should be," he said quietly staring out the window. "I dropped my guard at the worst possible second and you're paying for my mistake." He looked away from her and stared at the cherry blossoms outside the window. He moved from the chair to sit at the edge of her bed. "It's inexcusable."

"I'm not blaming you," she said softly. "You did the same thing for me."

He put his head in his hands again praying she couldn't see his tears. He fought against them but one sob betrayed him.

"Nii-sama?" she asked with a hint of shock in her weak voice. "Nii-sama are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"

Annoyed with himself he wiped the tears away swiftly as he felt her put her hand on his back in effort to console him. He couldn't understand why she was trying to comfort him. If she didn't blame him for her injuries then why did it feel like it did?

The answer was simple: he blamed himself.

He calmed himself down again and stood up, facing her.

"Rukia," he said in a quiet and slightly shaky voice. "Try to get some rest please."

Her wide lavender eyes met his narrow grey ones and she failed to answer. He leaned forward and touched her cheek letting his hand contour around her pale face. She felt weak even in this slight touch. Her eyelids started to drop and he leaned in closer.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear. "I'm very truly sorry."

He kissed her forehead in a paternal manner before stripping off his haori and draping it over her. He didn't want to leave but the stack of paperwork in his office wasn't going to get smaller just standing there.

"I'll be back," he murmured as the heart monitor slowed to a slow even beep. And with that he let the door close behind him.


End file.
